Thursday, September 1, 2011

Driver Chassis Selections for Atlanta Advocare 500

Note: Not all teams list their chassis in PR releases

Kyle Busch is using his runner-up Pocono car this week

1. Kyle Busch: 11.2 average finish in six starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Coming off third top 10 in 13 starts; Winner of the 2008 spring race; Fifth-best average finish (11.2) in the six races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 318) that he finished second with at Pocono Raceway last month.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Three-time winner; Coming off 10th top five in 19 starts; Third-best average finish (8.5) in the last 10 races; Best driver rating in the last 12 races; 12.4 average finish in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 650) that he last drove to a fourth-place finish at Pocono Raceway in June.

3. Matt Kenseth: Leads all drivers with a 7.3 average finish in the last 10 races; Best average finish (8.2) in the six races with the COT; Second-best average finish (7.6) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 787) in the AdvoCare 500.

4. Carl Edwards: Three-time winner; Finished second in this event last year; Nine top 10s in 13 starts; Third-best driver rating in the last 12 races; Leads all drivers with a 6.0 average finish in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 768) that he last finished 14th with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Harvick is using winning Coca-Cola 600 chassis this week

5. Kevin Harvick: 33rd-place finish in this event last year snapped streak of three consecutive top 10s; 20.5 average finish in 20 starts; Led 66 laps and finished second in this event on 2009; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 353) that he won with at Charlotte Motor Speedway with in May.

6. Jeff Gordon: Tied with Mark Martin for most top fives (14) and top 10s (23) among active full-time drivers; Second-best average finish (8.4) in the last 10 races; Third-best average finish (9.2) in the six races with the COT Fourth-best driver rating in the last 12 races.

7. Ryan Newman: 14.0 average finish and two top 10s in four starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Scored fourth top 10s in previous 14 starts with Penske Racing.

8. Kurt Busch: First in laps led (385) and Fourth in average finish (10.5) in the six races with the COT; Third-best average finish (8.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 750) that he finished fourth with in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 13.2 average finish in six starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Scored one win and nine top 10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Fifth-best average finish (12.4) in the last 10 races; Fifth-best driver rating in the last 12 races; Seventh-best average finish (11.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.

Stewart dominated Las Vegas in the car he'll use this week

10. Tony Stewart: Defending race winner; Win was third in 24 starts; 8.3 average finish in four starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Fourth-best average finish (9.0) in the last 10 races; races; Second-best average finish (8.7) in the six races with the COT; Second-best driver rating in the last 12 races; Fifth-best average finish (10.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 591) that he finished second at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with and 17th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

11. Brad Keselowski: 30.5 average finish in two starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 25th; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 755) that he finished 25th with at Michigan International Speedway in June.

12. Clint Bowyer: Finished seventh in this event last year for fifth top 10 in 10 starts; Four laps led in last five starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 368) that he last finished eighth with at Michigan International Speedway last month.

13. Denny Hamlin: Won the pole and led 74 laps in this event last year up until engine failure; Has combined to lead 129 laps in last three events; 18.4 average finish in 11 starts; Fourth-best average finish (9.2) in the five races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.

14. AJ Allmendinger: Sixth-place finish in the 2010 spring race is only top 10 in six starts; 15.2 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 752) that he last finished 22nd with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

15. Kasey Kahne: Last of two wins came in this event in 2009; Has combined to lead 220 laps in last three events; 17.1 average finish in 14 starts; Second in laps led (221) in the six races with the COT.

16. Greg Biffle: 36th-place finish in this event last year raised finishing average to 16.3 in 16 starts; Last of nine top 10s came in the 2010 spring race in eighth.

17. Martin Truex Jr: 19.5 average finish in two starts with Michael Waltrip Racing; Two top 10s came in previous 10 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc./Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

18. Joey Logano: Has yet to finish inside the top 20 in four starts; 28.5 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 319) that he won the pole and finished 26th with at Pocono Raceway in August.

19. Mark Martin: Won the pole in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports in the 2009 spring race; Best finish, and only top 20 with HMS, came in this event in 2009 in fifth; Two wins came with Roush Racing in 1991 and 1994; Tied with Jeff Gordon for most top fives (14) and top 10s (23) among active full-time drivers.

20. Paul Menard: Last of two top 10s came in the 2010 spring race in fifth; 22.0 average finish in nine starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 364) that he won the Brickyard 400 with last month.

Joey Logano (No. 22 Pennzoil Ford)· One top five, two top 10s; one pole· Average finish of 12.3· Average Running Position of 13.8, seventh-best· Driver Rating of 87.5, 11th-best· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.111 mph, 12th-fastest